(John Coyne – ASPI The Strategist) Every significant development involving China now seems to trigger the same argument. A missile test, an investment proposal, an electric vehicle shipment, a port lease or critical mineral project quickly becomes another debate over whether concerns about China are justified, exaggerated or politically motivated. One side interprets almost every Chinese action as evidence of malign intent. The other dismisses strategic concerns as Western insecurity or an inability to accept China’s rise. Neither approach helps policymakers decide what Australia should do. Australia’s strategic challenge isn’t determining whether China is friend or foe, nor deciding whether every Chinese action represents a threat. Governments should begin by determining what best advances Australia’s national interests.
Australia keeps asking the wrong first question about China | The Strategist
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